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9.17.2012

soul satisfaction

The Lord has been laying this topic on pretty thick the past couple of days. It started with a conversation with Brenton. He asked me if I think we will ever be satisfied with what we have, or if we will always want bigger and better. Would we be satisfied if we stayed exactly where we are, as we are, for the rest of our lives?

I didn't really know how to answer this. Of course I want a big beautiful home. Of course I want a barn full of horses. Of course I want a house full of children, but to think that I need those things to be happy is where I get confused. Could I be satisfied and content if I never received any of that?

We are in a series titled O My Soul at church. We are also doing the small group study in our marriage small group. Last night the topic was, you guessed it, satisfaction. One thing that really jumped out at me during the sermon was the first step at accomplishing soul satisfaction. I have to acknowledge my dissatisfaction.

I talk to myself a lot. I really do. Not out loud, cuz that would be weird. ;)

Anyways, the self talk is normally pretty stinkin' negative. Negativity towards myself, towards my circumstance, and sometimes towards others. The challenge on Sunday was to turn the self talk into a conversation with my soul. This then turns into prayer. Hmm...

Some scripture we were directed to was in Isaiah 53 and 55. We only looked at a couple of verses so in my quite time this morning, I read further.

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live... For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

-Isaiah 55: 1-3 and 12

Am I satisfied in the Lord? Is the Lord satisfied with me?

My soul is more satisfied when I am less preoccupied. We are too busy, which makes it easy for us to make the excuse of not being able to have quite time with the Lord. "Why do you spend your time on labor for that which does not satisfy?" My to-do lists and my running around does me no good. It induces anxiety and ultimately dissatisfaction. Our challenge in small group, and your challenge (if you choose to accept it), is to be intentional about spending time with the Lord in prayer and in scripture, because ultimately, He is the one who satisfies.